{"id":19508,"date":"2025-12-15T09:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T15:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/?p=19508"},"modified":"2026-02-04T12:14:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T18:14:46","slug":"budgeting-for-a-kitchen-remodel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/budgeting-for-a-kitchen-remodel\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for renovating your kitchen on a budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. So it\u2019s not surprising that a kitchen remodel is one of the most expensive home refreshes you can do\u2014and it can be one of the best projects for generating an eventual return on investment, per Investopedia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bankrate reports<\/a> that remodeling your kitchen can cost as much as six figures, and even when remodeling on a budget, you can expect to spend a minimum of $14,608. That\u2019s a huge range to navigate, and many homeowners dreaming of a new kitchen may wonder how they can effectively budget for one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elizabeth H., an Atlanta homeowner, spent years saving up to make over her home and recently completed a series of renovations\u2014including a kitchen remodel. \u201cIt was a pretty massive thing,\u201d she says. \u201cBut now that it\u2019s over, it\u2019s fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of her experience, Elizabeth can offer some insight into how to plan for a budget kitchen remodel\u2014from doing lots of research to preparing for the unexpected. She also has some surprising tips for cutting costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Establish your priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When creating her kitchen remodel budget, Elizabeth thought long and hard about what updates would have the most impact aesthetically and practically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought about which things I use the most and which would have the biggest impact,\u201d she explains. For example, when her friends and family come over, they tend to gather around the kitchen island. \u201cI thought, I definitely don’t want to skimp on the island because that’s going to be a focal point for me on a day-to-day basis and when my friends come over, whereas with the flooring I can choose something more modest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elizabeth opted to focus more of her budget on the areas of her kitchen that would help her enjoy the space and cut back on things that didn\u2019t matter to her as much. Once she settled on her priorities, she could plan her budget<\/a> more strategically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Set your budget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elizabeth heavily researched what a remodel would cost her\u2014even factoring in expenses unrelated to labor costs and materials. For example, when renovating a kitchen on a budget, she recommends earmarking funds for dining out, takeout, and any other solutions you need to pursue while your kitchen is out of commission. \u201cYou need a pizza fund,\u201d she jokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may also need to budget for alternate housing. Elizabeth rented a short-term apartment to live in while her home was uninhabitable. Once she had a realistic budget that took into account these extra costs, she spent a few years saving up to reach that goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying focused and being patient enough to reach her goal helped her avoid financial stress when it came time to start the work. While looking for new appliances and cabinets as soon as you start daydreaming about your project can be tempting, you also want to be realistic. \u201cSave first, shop later,\u201d Elizabeth suggests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip:<\/em> If you\u2019re saving for a renovation, stash your funds in a money market account or online savings account. You\u2019ll earn interest and grow your savings faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Expect the unexpected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tricky thing about redoing a kitchen on a budget is predicting how much the final cost will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhatever you think your budget will be, go over by a good bit,\u201d Elizabeth warns. \u201cA lot of people say plan for 25% extra, but I think the older your home is, the more of a buffer you need. Once they start opening up walls, they may find more issues that need repairing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A budget kitchen remodel typically comes with unexpected hurdles<\/a>, and Elizabeth recommends being prepared for surprises so they don\u2019t shock you. This mindset also applies to how long a kitchen remodel will take, not just how much it will cost. \u201cYou just have to roll with it,\u201d she says. \u201cI think whatever timeline they give you up front, it\u2019s important to recognize they\u2019re probably not going to stick to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bottom line is that there will always be surprises and hiccups. \u201cNo matter how much you plan or how much you prepare, no matter how organized you are or what research you do, there will still be things that vary,\u201d Elizabeth says. \u201cHaving really good construction partners you can trust is the best way to navigate the process overall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Articles may contain information from third parties. The inclusion of such information does not imply an affiliation with the bank or bank sponsorship, endorsement, or verification regarding the third party or information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as professional advice. Nothing contained in this article shall give rise to, or be construed to give rise to, any obligation or liability whatsoever on the part of Discover, a division of Capital One, N.A., or its affiliates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Updating your kitchen can be one of the most rewarding projects\u2014it can also be one of the priciest. Here are one homeowner\u2019s tips for redoing a kitchen on a budget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":19537,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,5698],"tags":[34,55,50,144,127,32],"class_list":["post-19508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-budgeting","category-goals-milestones","tag-budgeting","tag-financial-goals","tag-home","tag-home-projects","tag-how-to","tag-online-savings-account"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19508"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22665,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19508\/revisions\/22665"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}